How does China redefine \"reform\" under President Xi Jinping? 🤔 For decades, the term has evolved beyond economic shifts to embrace systemic improvements—from anti-corruption crusades to tech innovation. Robert Lawrence Kuhn, a longtime China observer and recipient of the China Reform Friendship Medal, breaks down Xi’s game-changing strategies.
Reform as ‘Improvement’
Xi’s reforms aren’t about shrinking government—they’re about optimizing it. Think streamlined ministries 🌐, healthcare overhauls 🏥, and anti-corruption campaigns 🔍 that reshaped the CPC. One standout? Raising the income tax threshold in 2018, slashing the tax burden for millions. 💸
The Drumbeat of Change
Since 2012, Xi has led over 70+ high-level reform meetings, greenlighting 3,000+ initiatives. Recent focuses? Boosting tech innovation (hello, AI race! 🤖), modernizing farms 🌾, and ensuring fair pay for grain farmers. Kuhn highlights Xi’s mantra: \"Innovation is the core of high-quality development.\"
Poverty Alleviation: Xi’s Passion Project
\"I’ve spent more energy on poverty alleviation than anything else,\" Xi once said. His policies lifted 100M+ out of poverty 📉, with tax tweaks directly benefiting low-income workers. For Xi, equitable wealth distribution is key to \"common prosperity.\"
What’s Next?
Science and tech remain top priorities as China pushes for \"new quality productive forces.\" With innovation now central to policy, expect more breakthroughs in green energy 🌱 and AI. As Kuhn says, Xi’s reform arc is far from over.
